Aslan Pharmaceuticals Pte Ltd. said it inked a licensing deal with Zenyaku Kogyo Co. Ltd. for its atopic dermatitis-targeting monoclonal antibody, eblasakimab, that could reach $138.5 million in up-front and milestone payments.
Cutia Therapeutics Ltd. raised HK$465 million (US$65 million) in a Hong Kong IPO on June 12, with almost half of the proceeds going toward furthering its lead product to treat adipose accumulation. Cutia’s shares moved a little higher on the first day of trading, opening at HK$21.80, rising 0.46% and closing at HK$21.95.
Promising early data continue to roll out for Intellia Therapeutics Inc.’s hereditary angioedema (HAE) candidate, NTLA-2002, with one of the earliest treated patients in the phase I study remaining attack-free for more than a year. But it was the systemic CRISPR candidate’s potential as a one-time treatment that generated the most discussion on the company’s call as investors tried to assess its potential advantage in a crowded HAE market.
China’s NMPA granted a green light to China Medical System Holdings Ltd.’s tildrakizumab injection to treat adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy. Sold under the brand name Ilumetri, tildrakizumab is a humanized lgG1/κ monoclonal antibody designed to selectively bind to the p19 subunit of interleukin-23 (IL-23) and inhibit its interaction with the IL-23 receptor to block the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines.
Canbridge Pharmaceuticals Inc. obtained marketing approval from China’s NMPA for CAN-108 (Livmarli; maralixibat chloride oral solution) to treat cholestatic pruritus in 1-year-old or older patients with Alagille syndrome, a development that the company touted for how quickly it followed similar approvals elsewhere.
Additional data from a phase II trial of S1P modulator icanbelimod (CBP-307) reinforced earlier positive results in ulcerative colitis (UC), potentially putting Connect Biopharma Holdings Ltd. in a better negotiating position as it seeks a partner to take the program forward, while in-house activities remain focused on an early 2024 regulatory filing for atopic dermatitis candidate CBP-201.
Right on schedule the U.S. FDA gave its blessing for Krystal Biotech Inc.’s topical gene therapy, Vyjuvek (beremagene geperpavec, or B-VEC), an orphan drug, to become the first approved treatment for the rare skin condition dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (DEB).
A heart-protective cardiac myosin inhibitor and two biologics – one for a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and another for an inflammatory skin condition – were among the therapies recommended for approval by the EMA’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use this week.
New and updated clinical data presented by biopharma firms at the American Academy of Dermatology annual meeting, including: Abbvie, Acelyrin, Arcutis, Concert, Connect, Galderma, Incyte, Inmagene, Leo, Nimbus, Regeneron, Sanofi, Sun, Takeda, UCB.
Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.’s oral allosteric tyrosine kinase 2 inhibitor TAK-279 (formerly NDI-034858) met primary and secondary endpoints in a phase IIb clinical trial in patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, but analysts say it may be too little too late to make a big splash compared to competitors.